


Big Apple Queen

by hotchoco195



Series: Hel on Earth [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Avengers, Angst, Brainwashing, Chitauri - Freeform, F/M, Family Fighting, Godly temper tantrums, Invasion, Just bad parenting all round, Loki is a Bad Bad Boy, Many awful things are said, Murder (off screen), Odin's A+ Parenting, hard choices, the tesseract - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 13:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchoco195/pseuds/hotchoco195
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hel gets a surprise visitor in the lab, and things quickly get way, way out of hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Apple Queen

Hel walked into the lab and stopped, folders clutched in her hands. Jane and Clint were gone for the day but there was a man standing at her desk looking over her notes, holding the runes up to the light. He was terribly pale, perfectly straight black hair hanging around his shoulders. His leather coat shone under the fluorescent lights like snakeskin.

“Father?”

He turned his head, a smile spreading across sharp, handsome features. “Hel.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m hurt. We haven’t seen each other in months and you go straight to the interrogation? Where’s my embrace, hmm? Did I raise you to be such a barbarian?”

Hel put her armful down slowly, thinking as she crossed to hug him. He looked a lot better than the last time she’d seen him, but there was something off about his smile. Loki tucked a stray hair behind her ear and stepped back.

“My, you look different.” He indicated her outfit.

She tugged at the hem of her pencil skirt uncomfortably. “I am surrounded by Midgardians, Father. I do my best to blend in.”

Loki touched a finger to the skin beneath her gleaming white eye. “You’ll never blend in, my daughter. And why would you want to? You surpass them in every way, and they should know it.”

“You seem…in better spirits.”

“I’m most excellent.” He grinned feverishly.

Loki paced the lengths of the counters, examining the equipment and nodded in what she guessed was approval.

“You seem to be quite settled in.”

“I am helping Dr Foster with her Bifrost research.”

“A subject you already know better than her kind ever will.”

Hel shrugged. “I like to see it from a different perspective.”

“You live with Dr Foster?”

“No. She acquired a residence in Long Island City.”

“Then where do you sleep?” he looked around with a mocking smile, “Surely not here?”

“I have no need of sleep. When I want privacy, I journey to Niflheim.”

“And you’re courting a Midgardian warrior. An archer, at that.” Loki clucked his tongue.

Hel could feel herself blushing. “Yes.”

“Do you help him tie his shoes? Cut his meat for him?” the god grinned devilishly.

“If you’ve only come to mock me, I think we can end this visit early.” She huffed, nudging her way between him and the desk, tidying her papers even though he hadn’t disturbed them.

“You used to be able to take a joke, daughter.”

“Perhaps your sense of humour’s deteriorating.”

“Well no one could blame me for that, after recent events.”

Strong hands caught Hel’s shoulders, spinning her. Loki raised his fingers to stroke her face, smiling warmly.

“Come now, little goddess. Aren’t you at all pleased to see me?”

“We did not part on such good terms,” She admitted, guilt creeping into her tone, “I am relieved to see you don’t despise me.”

“Speaking of those we despise,” Loki gnawed at his lower lip, “Has your uncle returned for his Midgardian woman?”

“No,” Hel frowned, “As far as I know the Bifrost is still being repaired.”

“As far as you know?”

“We have not spoken since he left to face you, and I do not idly spy on my relatives without good reason.”

“Then you have not told him I still live?” he raised a brow.

“No.”

He looked surprised. “Perhaps I was wrong to think you disloyal then.”

“I have told you so.” She scowled.

“Hush, sweet majesty. Father shall put it right. I hope to spend much time getting to know you better in the coming months. I hope to make up for our lost centuries.”

“I’d like that.”

He kissed her forehead, backing towards the door. “I shall call on you soon, yes?”

“Alright.”

“Oh,” the god paused on the threshold, “By the way – did you know SHIELD has the Tesseract?”

Then he disappeared.

 

Hel stared in shock at the space where he’d been. The Tesseract? How did such a potent object come to be in Midgard? How could SHIELD have it and she not know? How could _Loki_ know? He wasn’t the one living amongst the humans or working for the agency.

And why should he bring it up now? Hel remembered the blistering hatred the last time she’d spoken to her father, and felt a rush of dread up her spine.

She opened a portal to Fury’s office, stepping through. The director was at his desk talking on the phone while Commander Hill held up her tablet and he shook his head. He stopped when he saw the goddess stalking towards him.

“Let me call you back.”

He hung up a second before Hel seized his shoulder. “You have the Tesseract?”

“Whoa, easy there, Your Majesty,” Fury held up his hands, “Let’s talk about this calmly, hmm?”

“When you invited me to work with your scientists, you neglected to mention you had a relic of such great power.”

“I didn’t think it was related to your project with Dr Foster.”

Hel’s eyes blazed. “Do not lie, Nicholas, son of Jack – you kept it from me.”

“Uh, sir?” Hill’s hand strayed towards her gun.

“It’s okay, agent,” the director smiled at her quickly, “Your Majesty, you will forgive me for thinking it might not be the smartest idea to alert an already unmatchable superbeing to the presence of a power source we don’t fully understand.”

“You thought I would take it for myself?”

“I’m not the trusting type.”

She straightened, releasing him. “It is not me you need worry about.”

“Oh? Who then?”

“My father. He is on Midgard and I believe he means to retrieve the Tesseract from you. Where is it?”

Fury threw Hill a concerned look. “We’ve got a lot of personnel there. We can be ready-”

“You cannot be ready for him, mortal!” Hel slammed her palm against the desk, “Tell me where.”

“I’m not keen on the idea of another Asgardian grudge match being fought out in our facility – I saw the photos of Puente Antiguo.”

“He could be there already, you small-minded fool. Tell. Me. _Where_.”

Fury studied her for a second, spinning his chair to face Hill. “Let’s put our people on alert. Tell Dr Selvig to close down operations-”

“Erik?” Hel’s eyes widened.

“-and give Her Royal Majesty here an address.”

“Right away, sir.”

“I’ll escort you to our facility.” Fury stood.

“This is no time for your jets, director.”

“You can get there in five seconds, right? Take me with you.”

Hel frowned, but before she could object he snorted.

“You _can_ carry passengers?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m going, or you’re not going at all. Those are my people on the ground.”

She set her mouth in a grim line. “Fine. The location?”

 

Hel and Fury stepped through the threshold, the director wobbling as his feet hit the ground.

“That probably takes some getting used to, huh?”

Hel ignored him, inhaling sharply at the scent of blood and gunpowder. They stood in a large chamber with a lot of tables and lab equipment, a big circular framework leading off to a long black runway. The ceiling had collapsed in places, most of the original structure destroyed. Five agents lay dead on the floor, and she quickly checked for Erik amongst them.

“Cube’s gone.” Fury sighed.

“He must have taken it before he came to see me.” Hel cursed in a tongue the director didn’t recognise.

“But there was no distress call.”

“They did not have time for one. I would venture this facility’s existence was classified?” She raised a brow at him.

“Of course.”

“So no one was checking in on them.”

“We need to get people in here. There might be survivors under all this.”

Hel raised a hand, closing her eyes. She gathered power in her chest until the magic was vibrating through her skin, and released it. All the fallen rock and metal and concrete disappeared, the sky suddenly open above them.

“Will that make your efforts easier?”

“Should do.” Fury nodded.

“We need to find Father.”

“What would he want with the Tesseract?”

“Nothing good. The last time I saw him he was…so desolate. So full of anger and confusion and despair. The place he was in was not somewhere I would exile my worst enemy, and yet he would not accept my help to leave it.”

“I thought he was dead.” The director said accusingly.

She turned dull eyes on him, the director suppressing a shudder. He cleared his throat loudly.

“Can we get Thor down here to help with this mess?”

“The Bifrost is severed. We must deal with this ourselves.”

“Alright. Can you find Loki?”

Hel frowned. “I can. The question becomes, what do you expect me to do afterwards?”

“Get the Cube back, no matter what.”

“I will not kill my father.”

“And if he poses a risk to civilian lives?”

“I will protect them. But you cannot expect me to slay him, no matter his intentions.”

Fury laughed, waving a hand at the bodies on the floor. “I’d say his intentions speak for themselves.”

“I would not let him kill Uncle Thor; it would be hypocritical to murder him in turn, don’t you agree?”

“We need a plan beyond ‘talking it out’ – no offence.”

“Then we will find one.” She snapped, voice echoing off the flat sides of the chamber.

Fury gave her a dubious look. “Well we won’t find one in here.”

 

Clint was standing beside Hill in the ops room when Hel shifted them back, the archer’s arms folded over his chest worriedly. The goddess steadied Fury and immediately moved to the window, Clint excusing himself with a nod to Hill.

“You okay?” he asked carefully.

“Erik wasn’t there.” Hel said, voice even more uneven than usual.

“I’m sure he’s fine then. Your dad wouldn’t kidnap him unless he needed the doc for something, right?”

She stuck her lip out. “He might torture him, just to spite me. Erik is my friend, and a friend of Uncle Thor.”

“See, I feel like I’m not playing with the full hand here. You told me your dad was gone.”

“Gone, not dead,” she tilted her head, “And it was true. When I left him in the void, he was not himself. I considered him lost to melancholy, possibly insane.”

“Okay, but you didn’t say that.”

Hel frowned, turning to take his hands. “You don’t think I lied to you?”

“Not on purpose, no. I just think maybe it’s one of those god-human cultural misunderstandings that could have been clarified a tad more.”

“I am sorry, Clinton. I did not mean to mislead you. To me, it felt like the truth.”

“ _I’m_ sorry. That sucks.”

“Can you embrace me, or will you incite mockery from your colleagues?”

He laughed, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll get through it.”

She took a deep breath, letting herself enjoy his hold for a moment. They still had no proof Loki was the one to take the Tesseract and yet she knew it was him; she didn’t know what to do about it if he wouldn’t be reasonable.

“Your director mentioned an initiative?”

“The Avengers.”

“What is that?”

“A team with some special skill sets, designed to fight off big threats.”

Hel raised her head quickly and he shushed her.

“It’s okay, I don’t think anyone’s gonna shoot to kill. They’ll just help pin Loki down.”

She hugged him tighter, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know what has happened to him. First Uncle Thor, then all those agents at the facility…he has become monstrous in his misery.”

“Well when we find him, you can try to snap him out of it.”

She huffed. “Because I have done a marvellous job so far.”

“Your Majesty,” Fury leaned over the railing, “If I’m not interrupting?”

Hel broke away. “Director?”

“Can you track the Tesseract?”

“It is cloaked by its own power. I cannot scry for it.”

“But you can find your father faster than our programs, yes?”

“I can find him in an instant, son of Jack.”

Fury grimaced. “Then do it now. Once you give me the location, I’ll direct the rest of the team to meet you there.”

“I shall require a moment’s privacy.”

“Whatever you need.”

Hel squeezed Clint’s hand and headed out, looking for a quiet broom closet.

*****

Once the director had his people on route, Hel crossed the doorway, leaving the helicarrier behind. She was in a museum, with long galleries overlooking a room of well-dressed humans, soft music coming from a group of bards. Hel quickly covered her withered half with an illusion and changed into a suitable gown, drawing a silk wrap around her shoulders and arms. She scanned the room and spotted Loki, also in Midgardian garb, walking down the stairs. He held a sceptre that glowed with an ugly blue she didn’t like at all.

The goddess wasn’t far away; she ran as fast as she dared in the crowded room, taking the steps two at a time until she could slide her arm through Loki’s and yank him to a stop.

“Father! I hardly recognised you.” She smiled cheerfully, eyes flicking over the party-goers for any hint of a threat.

“It’s a rather extravagant party,” he quirked his lips, “Wanted to look my best.”

“You took the Tesseract.”

“Indeed. You understand how dangerous something like that could be in mortal hands?”

“We are in agreement on that – the Tesseract is dangerous in _any_ hands. Do you mind if I ask what you’re planning to do with it?”

“Oh, I’ll think of something worthy. Something historic, even.”

“And you thought you’d take in the local culture while you considered your options?” she arched a brow, lips pursed tartly.

“Why not? I haven’t been to Midgard in an age.”

She took a breath, trying to keep her voice calm. “I know it is hard for you to trust me, Father. Odin betrayed you; you believe I did the same in New Mexico. But if we are ever to move past that, you must learn to confide in me.”

“You think I’m lying?”

The goddess gave him an incredulous look and Loki laughed.

“Perhaps I should expect that.”

Hel’s earpiece buzzed. “Get him outside, away from the civilians.”

She rolled her eyes internally. Did Fury think the civilians outside would be safer because it was a public place? If Loki wanted a fight, it wouldn’t matter where they were. She should just pop him back to the helicarrier now, but then he’d stop being talkative.

“That’s an unusual staff.” She said.

“It’s very special.”

“Wherever did you find it?”

Loki shrugged. “You’ve been to the void. You know there are more than a few mysteries to be found there.”

Hel eyed the sceptre warily. Nothing from the void could be a benevolent relic. “I have thought about what you said, about getting to know one another better. If you are still interested?”

“Of course.” The trickster nodded.

“Would you accompany me on a walk then? You can tell me everything that has happened since I came to Midgard, or if you prefer not to discuss unpleasant matters, I could tell you more about Clinton and Jane and my work here.”

Loki grinned tightly, gaze darting across the room. “Unfortunately, now is not the best time.”

“Why ever not? Surely this feast is not more captivating than your own daughter.” She pouted prettily.

“No simple entertainment could be more important than you,” he brushed a thumb over her cheek, “But regretfully, this one is not simple.”

 

He slid out of her grasp, marching towards a man by the foot of the stairs. Hel scowled.

“He is making a move. Should I observe or intervene?”

“There are too many potential casualties. Cut him off before it gets messy!” Fury snapped.

Loki grabbed the man by the back of the neck, hurrying him through the crowd towards a stone altar. Hel rushed forward, shouldering past the shrieking audience and reaching her father as he threw the human down on the flat dais. He took something from his pocket, a metal contraption she didn’t recognise, and the goddess pushed herself between the two men.

“Do not interfere in Father’s plans again, daughter,” he seethed, “It would give me the wrong idea about your claims to be on my side.”

“If you would tell me what those plans _are_ , maybe I wouldn’t have to interfere.”

“Move aside, or I will move you myself.”

Hel pressed three pale fingers to the exposed skin above his collar and Loki froze.

“I could kill you.” She whispered.

The trickster met her eye for a second, then burst into a too-loud laugh. The sound echoed off the walls, returning to her ears too high and hysterical.

“You won’t, and we both know it. Now stand aside.”

“No.”

Loki glowered for a second and pushed her hard enough to knock her off her feet. As Hel rolled and tried to right herself, he raised his implement over the screaming, shuddering human. Hel flung up her hand to conjure a shield between them, but something flew across the room in a shiny blur and smacked the tool out of Loki’s grip.

“Captain and I are on site.” A new voice said over the comms.

A tall figure in a blue suit bounded over the altar, launching himself feet-first into Loki’s chest even as he reached up and caught the spinning blur. Hel scrambled to her feet as the god aimed a punch at the newcomer, snapping his head backwards at a vicious angle.

“Father, stop!”

The man on the altar was struggling to sit, managing to pull himself upright just as a woman in black with flaming red hair reached him.

“Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to come with me for your protection.”

The mortal looked panicked, glancing towards Loki. Hel narrowed her gaze suspiciously. This could be one of her father’s confederates, sneaking off with his target while they were all looking the other way. She grabbed the woman’s wrist gently, forcing her to meet the queen’s eyes, and immediately let go when she recognised the redhead.

“Natasha?”

“Have we met, Your Highness?” the agent’s brows shot up.

“Clinton mentions you often.”

She broke into a big smile. “Good things, I hope.”

“Exemplary.”

“Can you ladies finish your introductions later, when I’m not getting’ my ass kicked?” the man in blue panted as he slammed into the wall.

“Sure thing, cap. Come on sir, plane’s right outside.” Natasha put her arm around the man’s waist, hustling him away from the fight.

 

Hel turned. Loki wore his battle gear, his helmet curving up like fangs, his sceptre now a long staff that reminded her uncomfortably of Odin. He swung it into the masked captain’s shield, the resulting shockwave opening a crack in the wall. Hel dropped her shawl and her illusion at the same time, gathering the extra power into her hands.

“Get down!”

The human obediently dove behind the altar as Loki looked at her with an annoyed scowl. Hel unleashed the force she’d built up, the white colliding with Loki like a truck and rippling through his body, so bright Hel had to shield her eyes. The magic faded, and Loki collapsed hard into a heap.

“Status?” Fury barked.

Hel stepped closer, hands shaking. He looked so pathetic and awfully young, crumpled on the floor like a broken doll. Maybe she was a traitor after all.

There was a metallic whoosh and something man-shaped flew into the room, hovering above them. “Damn. Did I miss the action?”

The blue man stood, shield on his arm. “Just about. Loki is down, sir.”

“Great. Get him back here then.” The director said.

“I shall transport him.” Hel said, voice hollow, eyes still glued to her father.

“No offence, Your Majesty, but I don’t trust him out of my sight. You can bring him in the quinjet, with everyone for supervision.”

“Do you doubt me, mortal?” she demanded haughtily.

“You’ve already said you’re not willing to cross certain lines when it comes to Loki.”

She looked at her feet, face burning. A hand was thrust into her field of vision and she glanced up to find the muscular fighter smiling at her.

“Captain Steve Rogers, ma’am.”

“Hel of Niflheim.”

“You’re the queen bee, huh?” the metal-suited man dropped to stand beside them, opening his helm. He had a jaunty look not unlike an Aesir, and she sniffed at him.

“And you are?”

“Wow, not a question I get often. Tony Stark. Iron Man. Whatever you’re comfortable with, Highness.”

“It’s ‘Your Grace’, actually.” She said, stepping past him. Hel crouched, worming an arm under Loki’s shoulders.

“Here, I can get him.” Steve moved towards them.

“It’s fine.” The goddess stood, cradling the unconscious sorcerer against her chest. She headed for the door, kicking aside a piece of fallen plaster petulantly.

“Looks like they have women’s lib in the Underworld, Cap.” Tony slapped Steve’s shoulder, dropping his faceplate again.

*****

Hel was silent on the ride back, sitting next to her father protectively as he lay on one of the benches. Natasha was up front with the co-pilot, the captain and Stark talking quietly by the cockpit where Hel supposed they thought she couldn’t hear them. Loki’s almost-victim had been handed over to SHIELD agents in Stuttgart for questioning, so maybe they would be able to determine why the god wanted him. Thunder rumbled outside, so loud it shook the jet, and Hel sat up.

“Where’s this coming from?” Nat called, peering up through the windshield.

A flash of lightning blinded them and Loki jerked awake, yanking at his restraints. He looked around swiftly, licking his lips as he spotted Hel. He settled into a nasty smile.

“Ah, daughter. Are we going to have that quality time now?”

The storm roared louder than before and something smacked into the roof of the jet with a bang. Loki and Hel exchanged an unhappy glance as Steve frowned.

“What was-”

The back ramp fell open, a figure in the entrance. He tumbled into the plane, cape flapping, and stopped.

“Hel?” Thor’s brows shot up.

“What, no greeting for me, brother?” Loki smirked.

The blond growled, lunging towards him, and Hel threw up a shield to keep the two gods apart.

“Uncle Thor. What are you doing here?”

“The Allfather sent me to retrieve the Tesseract.”

“It’s all the rage nowadays.” Tony snorted.

“Need we include these mortals in our business?” Thor frowned at the inventor.

“Why break with tradition?” Loki grinned, “SHIELD seem to enjoy our little dramas.”

“They will not enjoy your army.”

“Army?” Hel glanced at Loki, whose mouth twisted into a scowl.

“Heimdall has seen it – the Chitauri sent him here to open a way for them.” Thor tightened his grip on Mjӧlnir.

“Uh, that sounds bad.” Tony raised his hand.

“That’s what the Tesseract is for,” Hel said to the Jotunn, “You need it to bridge the space into the void.”

“You always were the cleverest of my children. You’ve been resoundingly disappointing today though.”

Thor slapped him with a boom like a thunderclap, Loki opening and closing his mouth experimentally as he rubbed his cheek.

“Keep a civil tongue in your head. That is your kin.”

“It is no bother, uncle,” Hel said firmly, “He is right. I am a wayward child.”

Loki looked surprised.

“Just like him.”

The lie god scowled, crossing his arms. Hel felt a momentary pang of guilt and shoved it aside. She wanted to ask him why exactly he needed an army, but she had a feeling his answer was best not discussed where Fury’s warriors could hear. Instead she turned to Thor.

“Will you consent to let the humans take charge of Father’s keeping?”

“If you think them capable.”

“They do well enough.”

“We try.” Steve gave a wry smile.

“And you and I shall be there to keep watch over him.” The goddess added.

“Then we shall continue to the Midgardian leader.” Thor sat beside Hel, gathering his cape around him.

Loki clucked his tongue with a disgusted look. “Isn’t this wonderful? All the family, together at last.”

 

Fury’s men installed the trickster in a great glass prison, the god smirking with false amusement the whole time. The director pulled Hel and Thor aside.

“We need to find that cube. I do not want some alien army droppin’ outta the sky, understood?”

“I desire nothing more than to stop Loki’s scheme.” Thor drew himself up.

“You think you can get him to open up?”

“No. He hates us both.” Hel said flatly.

“Niece, I do not believe that could be true.”

“Then I pity you, uncle. Father’s heart is closed to us. But he might say something careless if we provoke him.” The queen continued.

“Alright. You two get first shot then. I’ll be watching.” He tapped his eye patch, turning down the hall.

Hel took a deep breath, steadying herself. She could feel Thor twitching impatiently just outside her vision.

“Calm yourself, or he shall make a game of your concern.”

“I am calm.” The blond pouted.

“I remember your temper well, uncle. If Father can upset even _me_ , he will easily distress you.”

Thor rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. “Perhaps it is best if I let you speak to him alone first. He may receive you with some paternal grace.”

The goddess snorted. “And perhaps Odin will name me Queen of Asgard. I would not hold your breath, uncle.”

But she opened the door and stepped through, letting the silence surround her as it slid shut. Loki sat on his bunk, head resting against the glass. He dragged his gaze over to her lazily, lips twitching into a smirk.

“Daughter. How faithfully you visit in my times of dejection. Do you enjoy seeing your father reduced to captivity?”

“No.” She walked across the bridge and straight through the glass, stopping out of arm’s reach.

“I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to let me out then?” he cocked his head mischievously.

“Not until you tell me why you seek to bring an army to Midgard.”

Loki sighed, clapping his hands on his thighs. “Oh, that.”

“What is your intent for this realm?”

“To rule it as a benevolent god, and benefit the mortals with my wisdom.”

“The humans do not ask for your interference.”

He shrugged. “They will soon learn the error of that.”

“Midgard is under the Allfather’s protection. He will not allow you to subjugate the people against their will.”

“Because he is afraid of me having any authority or power. He thinks to withhold what is rightfully mine!” Loki snarled.

“Jotunheim was rightfully yours, and you tried to destroy it. I cannot fault Odin for his mistrust, if that is your idea of kingship.”

Loki’s eyes narrowed. He stood, clasping his hands behind his back. “And what of you, Majesty? You have abandoned your realm altogether to play at humanity.”

“The shades need no true master, father. They had none before Odin sent me to Niflheim, and they will continue without one once I am dead.”

“Then perhaps you seek more lively subjects,” he spread his hands, “We could rule Midgard together. We would make an admirable team, daughter.”

“I thought myself far fallen from your favour.” She folded her arms.

“Blood is blood, pretty Hel. I should trust no one by my side more than you.”

“You do not understand the Midgardians as I do, father. They will not be ruled by you or anyone.”

 

The trickster turned, pacing the area in front of his cot and carefully not looking at her. “I shall educate them. They will see how submitting to my rule only increases their potential. I can give them science that remains out of their reach, I can arm them against external threats they’ve never even heard of. I can keep them out of the Allfather’s grasping hands. They would be at peace under my guidance.”

“If you knew your Midgardian history, you would know they are not a race capable of peace – no more than the Aesir or the Jotnar or the Dark Elves. They would continue to fight each other, and you, because theirs is a greedy and power-hungry nature.”

Loki laughed. “How critical you are of your new friends, daughter.”

“How critical you are of your old ones.”

The god’s eyes flashed. “You would try to convince me they have done no wrong?”

“No. They _have_ wronged you, father, though they may not have intended to. I seek to make you drop this pointless rage, for the vengeance you desire will only hurt you.”

He shifted uncomfortably, clenching his fists, and Hel stepped closer.

“The Eternal Realm is Odin’s, and his warriors protected by distance and strength. Even if that was not the case, they are stubborn and have spent all their lives being worshipped and praised. You will not be able to make them regret their treatment of you, because they will never understand why it was wrong. Forget them; it is a far more sensible course of action.”

“Forget a thousand years in an instant? I may be a sorcerer but I am no miracle worker, Hel.”

“Perhaps Uncle Thor will be able to convince you things do not have to be so inimical between you. He has changed much in recent times, father. Will you speak to him?”

“Why bother?” Loki flounced down onto the bed, “SHIELD has tasked you to discover my villainous plans and I have told you, so why linger?”

“If you think I am here because of SHIELD, you are blind.”

“Oh? So you’re not their kept goddess, using your powers to do their dirty work and turning against your own family as they command?”

“I have not turned against you!” Hel forced out through her teeth.

“You have not chosen to stand beside me either!” Loki snapped.

“If you loved me as I love you, you would not question my loyalty.”

“If you loved me as you _should_ , I would not have to.”

She gnawed at her cheek to hold back angry words. “Will you speak with Uncle Thor?”

“No.”

“Will you tell me what you have done with the Tesseract?”

 

Loki grinned, wide and mocking. “I admire your honesty, daughter. You have not tried to win me over with false promises. You make no pretence about joining me or helping me escape in return for the information you want. Your unnecessary lies about love are pathetic, but at least you know better than to double-cross a trickster.”

“Father, I want only two things – to help you, and to ensure the Tesseract is not misused. If those are contrary aims then I will choose the one that protects the most people.”

“How noble, Hel. Have you decided to follow in your uncle’s footsteps? Putting strangers before your own sire?”

“Did you send it off with Erik Selvig?”

Loki snickered. “You think I would leave it in the hands of a man known to you? No. It is protected by nameless humans you will never find.”

“Father please – tell me where the Tesseract is and SHIELD will release you, and we can talk privately instead of in a cell.”

“I’d rather have my army.”

“You won’t have anything if you’re stuck in here.”

“I think we both know I am only here for as long as I wish to be.” Loki tilted his head, winking at her.

“You court ruin. Why? You have never been so reckless.”

“Perhaps it is the only thing I can rely on.” His face darkened.

Hel cleared her throat, fisting a hand in her dress. “You have no idea how that saddens me.”

Loki seemed to soften for a moment, eyes turning wistful. He opened his mouth and the hall door slid aside, Thor marching in.

“Niece, I grew concerned you did not send for me.”

Hel glanced at her father hopefully but his expression was hard once more, the god leaning back and crossing his arms as he glared at Thor.

“We were not finished talking, uncle-”

“I think we have said enough.” Loki curled his lip.

“You have revealed the Tesseract’s location?” Thor asked.

“I could not if I so desired, brother. It is gone, beyond my reach or knowledge.”

“Gone?” he frowned.

“I sent it away when it became evident you were going to pay me a visit.” Loki smiled.

“We will find it, brother. If you help us, I can ask the Allfather’s mercy-”

“For what?” the Jotunn sneered, “What crimes have I committed?”

“You killed Laufey and tried to destroy Jotunheim.”

“Both feats Odin would have celebrated, had they been yours.”

Thor shook his head. “Not so, brother. Was I not banished for causing discord between our two realms?”

“You were banished for disobeying a direct order and bringing trouble to the House of Odin.”

“And what of you?” Thor scowled, “You tried to kill me, brother. Do you care so little for your own kin?”

“You are not my kin!”

Hel threw up her hands. “This clucking of hens gets us nowhere. Father, if you truly do not know where the Tesseract is, will you help me find it?”

Loki pursed his lips, watching her blankly. “No.”

 

“Then there is no need for you to be here, Uncle Thor. The Midgardians may require your assistance to prepare for the Chitauri.”

“You should both leave me to my isolation, since it is so plainly what you desire.” Loki flapped a hand.

“Brother, this hostility between us serves no one. Will you not open your affections to me, as you did when we were children?”

Loki’s eyes blazed and he sprung up, pushing past Hel to slam his fist against the glass.

“Children? You think we were ever close and loving brothers, Thor? I was your puppet – your plaything. I was your faithful shadow. Nothing more.”

“Uncle, you should leave us.” Hel pleaded.

“Yes Thor,” Loki smirked, “After all, Hel does so like to keep her secrets. She never told you I was alive, did she?”

Hel froze, biting her lip as Thor looked past the Jotunn and stared at her, stunned.

“Is that true?”

“She came to see me in the void. I’m surprised you didn’t think to ask her about it – but then you always were the slow one.”

“You knew he was not dead, and did not tell me?” Thor frowned.

Hel stepped back through the glass, approaching the thunderer. “How was I to get the message to you, uncle? The Bifrost was still being repaired. I had no ravens. I cannot set foot in Asgard.”

“You could have sent word to Heimdall. We _mourned_ while you sat safe in the knowledge of Loki’s survival.”

“Uncle-”

The blond shook his head. He shot Loki one last unhappy look and stormed out, the door sliding shut again. There was a heavy silence as Hel gripped the nearby railing, trying to force her emotions into some semblance of order. Loki chuckled softly and tutted.

“Oh, poor Hel. You can’t seem to hold onto anyone’s regard, can you?”

“You should not have said that.” She muttered.

“You’re right. Now Thor has had a taste of your duplicity. He will not be so eager to trust you again.”

“I can understand that you feel betrayed, and want to hurt me. But I do not see how you can actually do it. You are my father. I have loved you since the second I was born.”

Loki sauntered back to his perch on the edge of the bench. “Leave this place, daughter. Your presence is useless. You cannot help me, even if I wanted your aid.”

There was something in his tone that made her pause, some hidden sadness that didn’t fit with his anger. Hel wanted to say something but Loki turned away, lying on his side so his back was to her, and the silence seemed louder than ever.

 

Hel made her way through the helicarrier, searching for Thor so she could apologise for not trying harder to tell him Loki was alive. She didn’t want any more family members mad at her, and truthfully she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told him in the first place. It had seemed wrong outing Loki when he so clearly wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe she’d been trying to give him some space to cool off. Maybe she’d been afraid of confirming his belief she was a traitor. Whatever the reason, she certainly hadn’t expected Thor to find out so abruptly.

There was shouting up ahead, and she moved towards it cautiously. Thor stood in a laboratory-type room with Natasha, the man from the metal suit, the captain, Director Fury and an older Midgardian she hadn’t met yet. They were arguing, all yelling over the top of each other, Stark and the captain glaring like they were about to come to blows.

Loki’s sceptre lay on the table, its gem glowing an evil blue, and Hel’s heart leapt into her throat.

She strode into the room, waving a hand at the group in a surge of white light. “Silence.”

The noise stopped immediately, Stark opening and closing his mouth as he gurgled unsuccessfully. Captain Rogers scowled at her, and Thor folded his arms with an accusing look.

“This bickering will not help us find the Tesseract.”

“I’m not so convinced we want SHIELD to get their hands on it anyway.” Tony said, looking surprised when his words actually came out.

“I am taking it back to Asgard. That is the Allfather’s command.” Thor scowled.

“That’s not your decision to make.” Fury turned.

Thor started to respond, the others going back to their fighting, and Hel raised a glowing finger to her lips. The talking petered out.

“That’s a pretty lousy trick, Majesty. If you weren’t so terrifying, I’d be kickin’ your ass right now.” Tony glowered.

“You threaten a queen, mortal-” Thor started, creeping forward with a menacing air.

Hel stepped between them. “I bespell you for your own good. I would not do so under less urgent circumstances.”

“So you’re not Daddy’s Little Princess, sharing his ideals about grinding us into the dirt under your heel?”

The goddess drew herself up, indignation rising despite her best intentions. “You dare to accuse me of such arrogant warmongering?”

Fury put his hands on his hips. “Trust me Stark, Her Grace and I are going to have a conversation about magicking people without their consent later. But she’s right – we need to focus on getting the Tesseract back before we can debate what to do with it.”

“I think Bruce has just about got it, Colonel.” Stark leaned back against the table.

“Loki didn’t give you anything?” the director glanced at Hel.

“He claims he does not know where it is.” Thor interrupted.

“Do you believe him?”

“Yes.” Hel pressed her lips together.

“Then we need that scan to come through and fast, Dr Banner.”

“And that’s it, right?” the scientist smirked, “That’s all you need from me?”

“We’ve discussed this-”

A shockwave echoed through the ship and the floor fell out from under them.

 

Hel went flying as the windows smashed, landing next to Fury and Stark. She picked herself up quickly, unhurt, eyes skimming over the fallen Midgardians. Nobody looked injured, but there was a gaping hole where Dr Banner and Natasha had been.

Thor was also sitting up, and she caught his eye. “Fury’s berserker.”

“I shall find him before he causes any harm.” Her uncle nodded, running for the door.

Rogers and Stark were already heading out the opposite way. Hel pulled Fury to his feet, the director shaking his head with a slightly dazed look.

“Are you well, son of Jack?”

“Fine, fine. We need to get to the ops room.”

“I must go to my father. Your men will not slow him down.”

She swooped down and grabbed the fallen sceptre, its metal repulsive to her touch.

“You plannin’ to use that?” Fury arched his brow.

“No, but I will not leave it where it can fall into unfriendly hands.”

“How do I know your hands aren’t unfriendly?”

“Are we going to pause and dispute some more, or are we going to repel this attack?”

He still looked dubious, and she sighed.

“Director, if I wanted to aid my father’s plan, I need never have come to you about the Tesseract in the first place. You cannot match me, so you must trust me.”

“Saying things like that doesn’t exactly foster a lot of faith.”

“Then let actions do it instead.”

Hel stalked out, sceptre in hand, hurrying towards the detention cell. She couldn’t risk transporting herself when the helicarrier seemed in danger of falling from the sky at any moment so she sprinted instead, kicking the door open rather than wait for the mechanism to unlock. A ball of green darted at her from the right and she ducked, rolling forward onto the catwalk. Loki’s cell was empty; when she spun around he was leaning casually against the security console.

“What fatherly reception is this?”

“I learned my parenting skills from Odin Allfather.” He shrugged.

“Call off your rescue team before people get hurt.”

“Hm…” he tapped a finger to his chin, “No.”

“You have no need of them to escape.”

“As far as you know. Now, give Father his sceptre like a good girl.” The trickster stuck out his hand impatiently.

“No.” Hel tightened her grip.

Loki frowned. “You won’t use it.”

“I don’t have to – I just have to keep it away from you.”

Loki laughed. “Then bringing it here was a masterful stroke.”

“Are you really going to fight me, father?”

“That seems to be what you want.”

“It’s not, I swear it. We need not be at odds if you would only see sense-”

Loki kicked her shoulder, toppling her backwards, and Hel threw up a shield as he reached for the artefact. The trickster’s hands bounced off the spell with a burst of light and he hissed, immediately slicing a green-edged palm over the obstruction. The wall melted like snow and Loki lunged forward, Hel blocking his punch with her forearm.

 

“Stop this!”

“Give me the sceptre!” he demanded.

Hel narrowed her eyes and spun the rod, ramming the end into his jaw. Loki’s head snapped back and she used the distraction to wriggle away, clambering to her feet. Her father pulled himself up, watching her as he rubbed his fingers over his chin and winced.

Hel wasn’t sure what to do. If she wanted to stop him, she needed to resort to the two things she refused to use – the sceptre, and her queenly powers. Loki had been trained as a fighter, and he was physically stronger. She couldn’t hold him off with fists alone. Magically they were well-matched, and throwing spells at each other would only damage the helicarrier more. She could send him to Niflheim if the ship stabilised long enough to open a portal, but that wouldn’t help them get the Tesseract. She could open a doorway and throw the sceptre through, but if she wasn’t in Niflheim to defend it there was no way to stop someone else finding and taking it.

“Look at you!” Loki spat, “Weak. Unwilling to do what is necessary.”

“Love is not weakness, father.”

“How would you know? You have no one, daughter, not even me – your own treachery saw to that.”

He conjured a blade and threw it, the goddess sweeping the sceptre across her torso to knock it away. Loki advanced and she backed into the glass cell, calling up a circle to protect her on all sides. Loki rolled his eyes and swiped through it just as she called up a second, and the two of them raced each other, Hel throwing up walls as Loki tore them down.

“You can’t keep this up forever, Hel.”

“I can outlast you.”

“Just give me the sceptre and save yourself some pain.”

“You’re sweating,” she scowled, “You’re tiring yourself out. It takes a lot more effort to break my defences than you want to admit.”

Loki laughed. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the last four hundred years?”

He raised both palms and pushed, a wave powerful enough to crack the cell walls shattering all Hel’s barriers and flatten her. The sceptre jumped out of her grasp, skidding across the floor to land by her head, and Loki threw himself on top of her to grab it. As his fingers closed around the metal, Hel placed her hand on his cheek. The lie god froze, eyes locked on hers.

“Would you really? After all your talk of love and filial fidelity?”

“I won’t let you hurt anyone.”

“You don’t know them, daughter. How can you profess to care for me and then tell me they matter more?”

“Because _my_ father wouldn’t be on this hopeless crusade in the first place. You are not yourself.”

“Sometimes life leaves us little choice.”

She saw it again, that flicker of doubt, and pressed her fingertips harder into his skin.

“Who controls you, father? What creature of the void has warped your mind?”

His eyes widened in fright for half a millisecond, and then he screwed up his face in annoyance. “Are we going to natter all day, or are you going to end it?”

“Tell me!”

“I understand – I myself had patricidal jitters.”

“Please, just tell me who sent you? Who gave you the Chitauri?”

“Do it, Hel,” Loki panted, “Do it!”

She bit her lip as he hovered over her with a manic, gleeful smile, and then Loki yanked the sceptre into the back of her head and everything went dark.

*****

Warm fingers touched her shoulder and Hel jerked away, throwing up a shield instinctually. Agent Coulson crouched beside her, his hands raised reassuringly.

“Hey, it’s alright. It’s just me, Your Grace.”

“Where is my father?”

“Gone. He and his men left on a quinjet about five minutes ago. You’ve been unconscious about ten.”

She tried to stand, the agent rushing to help. She was still in the cell, her head aching but gradually getting clearer, the fatigue of using so much magic sitting heavily in her bones.

“What of the others?”

“Prince Thor managed to distract Hulk and prevent anyone getting hurt, but they both fell from the carrier in the confusion. We don’t have a current location. The others are fine, except…”

“Except what?” Hel’s brow furrowed.

“Agent Barton’s been compromised.”

“What!”

“Loki left you here and went up to the bridge, where Barton was helping protect the ops controls. Your father went straight for him.”

Hel clenched her fists. “He desired to hurt me. What has he done to Clinton?”

“He touched his chest with his sceptre, and Barton turned on the other agents. He fought a way through to the deck so he and Loki could escape.”

“I must find him.”

“Not so fast, Your Grace,” Fury entered, “We have bigger problems than Agent Barton’s capture.”

“Hold your tongue, mortal!” Hel shrieked, the sound echoing around the room in a piercing cry that made Coulson clap his hands to his ears. Even Fury looked rattled.

“I will not. You could have stopped Loki taking him if you’d killed him when you had the chance. And now he’s gone, with one of my agents and a goddamn powerful spear you assured me you’d keep away from him, and I’m left waiting for his next nefarious move.”

“You think to blame me for this?” Hel scoffed, “Because I would not _murder_ my own father?”

“All I’m sayin’ is, you’ve got the chops to put him down and you didn’t. He’s dangerous, Your Majesty. I don’t care who he’s related to, so long as he doesn’t keep killing the people under my protection.”

“He is not acting alone, director.”

“What do you mean?” Coulson frowned.

“I saw him in the void. There are beings there more terrifying than human minds are capable of conceiving. And now he arrives here, with a sceptre of unknown origin, an army of monsters and plans for himself and the Tesseract that lack any kind of sense or logic. When I spoke with him, I could see his mind is divided. Something found him in the void and made him their tool, to wreak destruction on this realm or for their own greater ends, but he is clearly frightened of disobeying their command.”

“So what, we should give him a free pass cos he’s got a big bad boss? He’s still got blood on his hands.”

“We waste time. I will go and retrieve Clinton-”

“No. I want you to talk to Stark. We still need to find that cube before the sky opens above our heads.”

“I can stop Father and rescue Clinton at the same time.”

“Can you stop him?”

He met her eye accusingly, holding her gaze until Hel hung her head.

“That’s what I thought. Let’s talk to Stark.”

 

The ops room was a shambles when they got there, SHIELD personnel working to repair the damaged consoles. Captain Rogers, Tony and Natasha sat at the table looking exhausted. The redhead had her arms folded tightly around herself. Hel gave her a sympathetic smile as she took a seat.

“Alright, our people in Stuttgart have reported back about the man Loki tried to assault. His name is Dr Heinrich Schafer and he manages a facility that houses a lot of very valuable, very rare materials. We think Loki was trying to get his hands on a sample of iridium.”

“Iridium?” Tony sat up.

“You know what it does?” Steve asked.

“It creates anti-protons.”

“Anyone wanna explain what that means?” Fury sighed.

Stark shrugged, looking at Hel. “Uh, could be part of his plan to open a door for his Chitauri friends, I guess.”

“It could be a stabilising agent,” the goddess nodded, “The first portal caused great devastation at the SHIELD facility. My guess would be that it collapsed in on itself and took parts of this realm with it. If he wants to move an army through the gate, it needs to stay open.”

The director leaned forward on the table. “So what happens if he tries to create the portal without it?”

“He did not procure the iridium from some other source?”

“Not that we know of.”

Hel glanced back at Tony. “I suppose it would have a similar effect to the last time then.”

“Portal go boom.” The genius grimaced.

“That would be a good thing, right?” Steve tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair, “No portal, no Chitauri – or not enough to be any real challenge.”

“Maybe?” Tony scratched at his facial hair, “It depends on where he opens it. If it implodes under Grand Central Terminal for example, casualty’s rates gonna be a lot higher than a grassy plain in northern Mongolia.”

Hel shook her head. “It is much worse than that. If the portal collapses in the sky, it could destroy part of your atmosphere.”

“That sounds bad.” Steve’s brows shot up.

“Unimaginably so. The area under the damage would not be protected from solar radiation. If it was a large enough hole, it may cease to exist entirely.”

“At which point all life on Earth would run out of oxygen and die.” Tony finished.

Fury rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “So we don’t want that.”

“Your Grace, can you still find Loki?” Natasha sat forward.

“At will.”

“We need to stop him opening that door.” Steve stood, arms stiff at his side.

Fury signed to Hill. “Get every S.T.R.I.K.E agent on this boat geared up and ready to ship out yesterday. Queen Hel will take the Avengers right now, and hopefully we can have this whole mess cleared up before my day gets any worse.”

 

Hel stood by the window, limbs vibrating with so much tension her teeth hurt. She wanted Clint back – now – and instead she was forced to wait while the humans readied their soldiers. She should just swoop in without them and take him by herself. She had the power to do it. And if they missed their chance to get the Tesseract back, she’d still sleep well at night.

“Your Majesty?” a tentative voice said.

“What?” the goddess snapped, harsher than she meant to.

“Uh, I don’t wish to intrude,” Steve’s mouth twitched, “But you’re glowing.”

Hel looked down at herself and realised there was a faint white shimmer around her body. Her magic was reacting to her mood, slipping out of her control. The queen glanced around and saw the SHIELD agents eyeing her warily, all keeping their distance. She forced herself to take a breath, closing her eyes as she forced her power to behave.

“Thank you, Captain. I shouldn’t like to distress your men.”

“It’s a tough time for everyone. I imagine it’s hard for you, with your dad and Agent Barton - no one’s gonna judge you for being upset.”

“I should know better though.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “What are our chances of stopping him before he activates the Tesseract?”

Hel’s eyes drifted to the Midgardians, gnawing at her bottom lip. “I do not know if we will be able to sway his course.”

Steve’s gaze got very hard. “If Loki has to be stopped, it shouldn’t fall on you.”

“No one else is capable.”

“He’s your father – Fury can’t expect you to take him out.”

“I don’t want him slain at all.”

“He may not give us a choice.”

“There is always a choice, Captain Rogers. For us and him.”

Tony walked over, faceplate up. “We’re about ready to move, oh great and glorious leader.”

“I shall open the gateway.” Hel pressed her lips together.

Steve nodded. “What’d ya need from us?”

“Pull your men into the tightest group possible. The less time I need hold it, the less power it will take.”

The captain turned, shouting instructions. Tony gave her a weak smile.

“Good luck then, Elvira.”

“And you, annoying mortal.”

He snickered and moved out of the way. The queen took another breath to focus herself and closed her eyes. She called her father’s image to mind, his face glowing bright with shifting emerald and silver light. His smile was harsh and frightening, and with a shudder she pulled away, following the trail of power from him back to her own body in the helicarrier. With a single unspoken word, she wrenched that trail into a bridge, stretching it into a white-rimmed circle that hung in the air with an ephemeral shiver. The goddess opened her eyes, looking through the window to the Manhattan skyline, Loki standing atop a sharp, angular tower with that same wicked grin.

Behind her, Tony gave an outraged yelp. “Son of a bitch.”

 

Steve didn’t wait for him to recover, raising a hand. “Portal’s still closed – let’s keep it that way. Move out!”

Tony dropped his faceplate, rocketing through the gap into the sky above his building, aiming both repulsors at Loki. The S.T.R.I.K.E team and Steve followed, boots hitting the rooftop with a rhythmic thud. Natasha paused in the doorway, glancing back at Hel.

“If we find Clint, he might not be so friendly.”

“I can reverse whatever Father has done to him.”

“We need you to worry about the Tesseract. The tough guys can handle Loki and Clint, but if that portal opens we’re all in shit.”

“I’ll try to hold off Earth’s imminent conquest as best I can.” Hel made a face, sweat gathering at her temples, “Now if you’d please?”

Natasha vaulted through the opening and Hel threw herself after, feeling the doorway snap shut on the back of her dress.

There was a large machine in the middle of the roof, Erik Selvig manning the console as Clint held off the attacking S.T.R.I.K.E team. Loki faced off against Tony and Steve, the metal man swerving out of range as a blue bolt of energy streaked through the sky towards him. Natasha jumped into that fight, guns barking, and Hel turned her attention to the Tesseract.

The cube sat in the middle of the frame, the light inside pulsing bright enough to hurt her eyes if she stared for too long. The SHIELD agents were smart enough not to fire directly at it, but they were emptying their magazines at the console, bullets ricocheting dangerously close to Erik and Clint. All she had to do was yank the Tesseract out before it turned on. Hel ducked behind them, heading for the device.

An arrow zipped across the rooftop towards her; Hel raised an arm to bat it away and the pronged head dug into her skin, an electric surge rippling through her arm. She shrieked, reaching down to rip it out as her muscles clenched, and a second hit her in the opposite shoulder. She fell to her knees, teeth rattling as her jaw shook, eyes wide as she gaped at Clinton. The archer set another bolt to his string and she threw herself flat. There was a hum that got louder and louder, the pitch climbing until it made her ears screech, and then with a thud the Tesseract burst into life.

A pillar of blue shot 300 feet into the air , collecting in a pool of energy that spread outwards until she could see a dark, starry field through the wormhole. A dozen Chitauri soared through, more visible behind them.

“Uh, guys?” Nat said.

“I’m on it.” Tony flew towards the new arrivals, firing his repulsors ahead of him.

Hel finally managed to tug the tasers out, rolling to her feet. Erik and Clint, the two people closest to the machine, had been knocked flat when the portal opened, and the scientist was out cold. Clint looked dazed but he was picking himself up, bow in hand. Hel glanced at the cube, but it was safe behind a sphere of its own power. She waved to the S.T.R.I.K.E team.

“Help Stark contain the Chitauri!”

They ran towards the access hatch, and Hel sprinted at her archer.

 

Clint got his weapon up but she caught the arrow before it hit her, tossing it aside. She reached for his head and he swept his bow across his body, deflecting her hand. The goddess scowled and stomped her foot on the concrete, the resulting shockwave running up Clint’s leg and forcing him to shift to keep his balance. In the moment where he wasn’t properly grounded, she surged forward, but the spy dropped flat and rolled away. Hel gnashed her teeth in frustration. If she used her full strength and speed she could easily catch him, but she didn’t want to hurt Clint. Then she realised she was being an idiot.

The goddess spread her fingers wide and raised both palms, hands completely flat. She shoved them at Clint and he froze, bow string half-drawn. Hel ducked a stray burst of energy from the sceptre and placed her thumb in the middle of his forehead, the other hand pressed against the muscle over his heart. She could feel the corruption there, the eerie calm and clarity of the sceptre’s power infecting him. She didn’t want to rip it out too fast and damage Clint. She took a deep breath, the magic moving away from the archer and into the space between them as if she had inhaled it. As soon as it touched the open air, it dissolved.

Hel released her spell and Clint gasped for breath, legs giving out as his eyes flickered. She caught him, dragging the mortal away from any crossfire.

“Are you well, my Clinton?”

“Hel?” he blinked, frowning.

She pressed her lips together. He was in no condition to fight. The goddess looked around, eyes locking onto Natasha.

 _Agent Romanov, I need you_.

The redhead didn’t seem fazed by hearing voices in her head, shooting a path clear to the machine and crouching beside them.

“What’s up?”

“I have undone my father’s compulsion, but its effects linger. Clinton must be taken to a place of safety. I would do it myself, but I fear Captain Rogers needs my help more.”

“I’ll get him downstairs.” She nodded.

“Thank you. I will cover you.”

“Come on, Barton. We’re gonna find you a nice safe place to lay down.”

Natasha dragged his arm around her neck and stood, Hel helping the archer to his feet as he leaned heavily on the Russian. She pursed her lips worriedly.

“He’s gonna be fine.” Nat smiled.

“Yes.”

The goddess spun, raising a thick white shield between the agents and Loki, and Nat scrambled towards the exit with Clint stumbling along beside her. Hel couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in her stomach, the bitterness on her tongue – but Clint was in good hands with Natasha, and the world had bigger problems.

She faced Loki, raising a hand that glowed with power. “Captain Rogers, move aside.”

The trickster sneered. “I’m glad to see you’ve finally abandoned your pretence of loyalty, daughter.”

“You tried to hurt me in the cruellest way possible. How are you any better than Odin Allfather?”

His face twisted in deeply lined darkness, green sparks spilling from his fingertips to the pavement, and Hel was bracing herself for an attack when the sky lit up around them.

 

Lightning struck the golden horns of Loki’s helmet, blasting it off his head. His body flew backwards with the force, the chaos god toppling off the roof.

“Father!” Hel shrieked.

There was a thunderous boom and Thor landed next to her hard enough to shake the top of the tower, Mjölnir in hand.

“Boy I’m glad to see you.” Steve smiled weakly.

“Niece?” the blond turned to Hel.

She took a shuddery breath, peering over the edge. “He’s alive, I think. The deck below broke his fall.”

“We need to worry about that,” Steve pointed up at the gaping portal, “I don’t know how much longer it’s gonna stay open but we can’t let it destroy the atmosphere, and we need to keep those Chitauri away from civilians.”

“I shall blast Loki’s mechanism and shut it off.” Thor pointed his hammer at the Tesseract.

“No!” Hel grabbed his wrist, “You will only kill us when the lightning bounces back. Take Captain Rogers to the street, where he may be of most help. I will make Father tell me how to stop the device.”

“Do you think you’re up for it?” Steve’s gaze narrowed.

“I am out of options, mortal. This must end, one way or another.”

He gave a satisfied nod and turned to Thor. “How are we doin’ this?”

The prince raised his arm. “Hold on.”

Steve grimaced but wrapped himself around the Aesir. “I’m just glad Stark isn’t around to see this.”

Thor spun the hammer on its strap and they took off, streaking upwards before swooping down in a great arc. Hel glanced at Loki’s unmoving form again and bit her cheek. There was no other way.

She jumped over the wall, falling gracefully to land on the penthouse balcony with a much gentler thud than her uncle. Loki didn’t stir, but she could feel his thoughts gathering speed as he returned to consciousness. Somewhere in the city below there was an animal roar that made even her skin crawl, and she knew the Hulk had re-joined them. She pointed a finger at the Jotunn and a white binding closed around his upper torso, pinning his arms to his chest.

Loki’s eyes flicked open and he smiled, the smirk like a punch to the gut. “Alone at last. I do loathe including your Midgardians in our family squabbles.”

“You involved them in this yourself by attacking SHIELD’s facility and taking the Tesseract. Now tell me how to stop it. I know you would have left yourself a safeguard.”

“You’re a clever girl. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

She set her jaw grimly. “I cannot pierce its protections – the cube’s power is too strong. Help me, before this planet is destroyed.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

She scowled, jerking a hand to lift the binding and raise him to his feet. Loki chose that moment to hurl his magic against the walls of the spell, the green energy breaking through in half a dozen places until the binding shattered altogether. He aimed his sceptre at Hel and she conjured a pair of curving sabres from the ether, their hilts firm in her hands. Silver armour spread down both arms and covered her chest and abdomen, a crown-like helm holding her hair off her face as it whipped wildly behind her.

“Father, even after all you have done I harbour no desire to hurt you – but I am close to my limit. You have come to a realm under my guardianship and slain its people. You have perverted the Tesseract for your warlike purposes, you have insulted me, and you have ensnared my lover to place him in harm’s way. I could forgive, if only you would tell me why you cling to this foolhardy self-destruction!”

“The only destruction I seek is that of Odin and his Midgardian pets.” Loki’s lip curled.

Hel’s gaze narrowed. “So be it.”

 

She slashed at his chest with both blades, twisting her body to present less of a target. Loki blocked the steel on his sceptre and turned it sharply, forcing her to take a step or have the swords wrenched out of her grasp. She spun one into a backwards grip and stabbed at his hands, hoping to make him drop the staff, but Loki was the one who’d taught her that trick and he easily avoided it. He let the sceptre drop until his hands were wrapped around the end and took a swing at her like a golfer, the heavy gem connecting with her hip and sending the queen flying across the balcony.

She hit the window and went straight through, skidding across the penthouse floor. Hel didn’t even wait to get up, tilting her head back so she could see Loki and flinging a glistening net through the hole in the glass. He batted it away but it tangled around his right side, trapping the sceptre at an awkward angle. Hel got to her feet and sprinted outside, jumping feet first into Loki’s chest. They both went down. He got his free hand inside his jacket and pulled out a knife, plunging it into the stone next to Hel’s face. She wrapped her hand around his on the hilt and yanked, snapping the dagger in two, then reversed the motion to punch Loki in the jaw with the added weight of the weapon.

He snarled and slammed his fists against his sides, an explosion of green pushing her out of reach and disintegrating what remained of her net. Loki scrambled up as Hel gracefully lifted herself on her hands and somersaulted, swords raised in time to meet the downward swing of his sceptre. They clashed for a minute, exchanging blows with enough force to make her arms ache. Loki was careful to avoid touching her skin, and in a way Hel was grateful; she still wasn’t sure she could bring herself to kill him, no matter how dedicated she was to taking him out of the fight.

Loki drove the point of the sceptre dangerously close to her eye and Hel dodged, putting some space between them. He steadied the metal against his forearm and fired, blue light flying past Hel’s face close enough that she could hear the air crackle. He took aim again and she sidestepped, throwing her body in a flip right over the top of him. Loki went still as the goddess pressed the tip of one sword into his back and held the other to his throat, voice terrible like screeching bats and howling wolves.

“Look at this! This madness is not like you, Father. It is careless and crude, and I cannot believe it is truly what you desire.”

Loki turned his face away as much as he could without pressing his neck into her blade. “It’s too late. There is no stopping it.”

“We can do it. You and I together are more powerful than even the Tesseract.”

“That is a lie, and a desperate one.”

Hel lowered her weapons, stepping around the god to meet his gaze.

“Please Father,” she breathed tiredly, “Help me.”

He wouldn’t look at her, eyes on the city around them, the Chitauri and Avengers grappling as glass shattered and lightning flashed across the sky. The Jotunn’s lips trembled, face pale beneath the scratches and dirt. Hel was close to giving up hope when he finally nodded.

“Let us end it.”

With a rush of relief she clasped Loki’s hand and shifted to the rooftop. The queen frowned at the trails of cloud streaking towards the portal’s ragged edges.

“I shall contain it!” she yelled above the whirring wind.

Loki nodded, clutching his sceptre tight as he walked towards the machine. Hel raised her hands, power shooting straight up at the wormhole’s mouth to spread around the circle, forming a steady barrier to stop it sucking in the atmosphere. It didn’t prevent the Chitauri pouring through, their leviathans and soldiers still coming in waves that Thor and Tony tried to head off.

Loki thrust the tip of the sceptre into the blue sphere surrounding the Tesseract and screamed, the energy making his arms shake violently. Hel bit her lip, unsure if she should help him. But Loki didn’t pause, pushing the cube out of its housing in gradual, shaky jolts. Hel could feel the portal fighting her, raking hungry claws against the barrier. But the blue light of the cube was thinning, the column flickering at the edges, and with a final roar Loki shoved the Tesseract out of the machine. It tumbled across the concrete and the wormhole started to collapse, folding inwards on itself so fast Hel had to scramble to shift her barrier with it and not create a vacuum above the city.

The gaping mouth snapped shut and she dropped the barricade completely, swaying a little as the power recoiled back into her body. The goddess looked for the Tesseract. Loki had it contained in a sphere of light floating over his palm, and he was staring at it dejectedly. She came closer, slowly wrapping a hand around his wrist.

“Thank you.”

He blinked, head hanging so she couldn’t see his expression, and then thrust the cube at her.

“The Chitauri are not defeated yet.” he muttered.

Hel nodded and took the artefact, Loki’s protective ward replaced by one of her own. She walked to the edge of the roof, the trickster following reluctantly.

“Time to put things right, Father.”

He nodded and aimed his sceptre at the closest leviathan, blasting a hole in its side. Hel smiled grimly, calling a tendril of energy through the Tesseract’s shell until she had a four foot lance of blue power. With a shout, she released it as a passing Chitauri airship, slicing it cleanly in half. Several fighters changed course, heading towards the Tower to eliminate the new threat.

 _Good_ , Hel thought. She had some steam to blow off.

*****

Steve sounded exhausted over the comms. “I think that’s the last of ‘em. Stark?”

“Scans are coming back clear, boss.”

“Same here.” Natasha said.

Hel reached out to brush their minds. _I sense no presence which does not belong._

“Okay. Anyone got eyes on Loki or the Tesseract?” the captain asked.

Hel glanced at her father. He was holding himself up with the sceptre not really looking at anything, face tired and worn, eyes unfocussed. He’d taken some hits, one cheek cut open with a shallow gash, his coat torn just above his left vambrace.

“Father, you have expressed disappointment in me of late, but our alliance in this fight gives me hope. We both know if you return to Asgard with Uncle Thor, Odin will put you to the axe. I could not bear that.”

“Perhaps it is what I deserve,” he said quietly, “It is the duty of heroes to slay monsters.”

“If you have become monstrous, it was Odin’s doing,” she gripped his bicep, “And he should answer for it before you.”

Loki gave a half-hearted shrug that broke the contact. Hel gnawed at her lip. She couldn’t just let him go – apart from the fact both the Midgardians and the Allfather would be furious, she didn’t trust Loki not to hurt himself or somebody else in his current state of mind. And she would never forgive herself if she stood aside and let him be executed.

_Uncle, please join me on Stark’s tower. I must speak to you in private._

There was a pause, and then a silver and red blur soared towards them, Thor landing lightly on the roof. He glanced at Loki, and then the Tesseract in Hel’s hand, and grinned.

“Well done, niece.”

“Uncle, I owe you an apology. I never intended to cause you pain by concealing Father’s location. I only thought to give him some space to calm down, since his mind was so troubled, and I knew you would want to go to him before he was ready.”

Thor sighed. “I am not pleased with your secret-keeping, but you are right. I do not know how to help you, Loki. I only wish that you had let me try, instead of…this.”

Hel concentrated on the sphere of power around the Tesseract until it solidified into a glass ball, and offered it to Thor. “If you take this to Jane, she will be able to build something to get you back to Asgard.”

“Surely you could open a door with ease?” the blond frowned.

“I shall not be here to do it; Father and I are returning to Niflheim presently, if it pleases him.”

Thor tried to put his hand on Mjölnir’s hilt, remembered he was holding the Tesseract, and settled for puffing out his chest with an imperious look instead. “He must face Odin Allfather and answer for what he has done.”

“I am well aware what Odin considers fitting punishment for disobedience. I will not let my father be put to death.”

“Frigga will speak for him,” the prince insisted, “And I shall tell them how he closed the portal and helped defeat the Chitauri at your side. Odin will be merciful.”

Loki voice was weak and broken. “It is not in his nature.”

“You wrong Father. I am certain he will deal with you fairly,” Thor said, though he didn’t sound as certain as he had a minute ago, “If Loki flees to Niflheim, Odin will only send warriors to retrieve him anyway, and he may not be as lenient if you defy his will again.”

 

“Odin Allfather’s men cannot set foot in my kingdom. Father will be safe there.” Hel pursed her lips.

“He cannot stay in the realm of the dead forever – and neither can you. What of your Hawk? What of your Midgardian companions?”

“Give us another choice and I will gladly consider it, uncle, but if this is the only way to save my father then I willingly forsake my life here. Clinton will understand, in time.”

“Have you asked Loki what he wants?”

Hel felt herself flush. She’d specifically avoided doing so, in case he was rash enough to throw himself at Odin’s feet like a sacrificial lamb. But that made her no better than the Allfather, making his decisions for him.

“Father?” she asked wistfully, “Would you deign to accept my protection, and my hospitality, and my love as a daughter? Niflheim is not much better than a prison, it is true, but it is safer than Asgard.”

“Am I to be forgotten with the rest of the ghosts?” Loki murmured, barely more than a whisper.

“Come home with me, brother,” Thor tried, “Where you belong.”

The chaos god’s eyes flashed, and his mouth took on a sour but obstinate twist. He finally met Thor’s gaze, the blond visibly shrinking under its intensity.

“Asgard was my home, Thor, but I never _belonged_. I have devoted my life to being what others expected, trying to win the approval of a man who would never see me as anything more but a Jotunn runt, seeking the friendship of those I hated. I have been mocked and lied to and overlooked, and treated like the odd one out since we were children,” his chin trembled, eyes teary, “But I _am_ the odd one out. I’m not Aesir. I’m not Odin’s son. And even if by some miracle he pardoned my crimes, I would be more miserable than I am now if I had to go back to that existence.”

He rested the sceptre against the wall and took Hel’s hands in his.

“Hel is my only true kin, and she has shown it time and time again in refusing to give up on me, even after all my cruelty. I have neglected her for far too long, because it was expected. I think it only fair to honour her devotion, rather than abandon her again by submitting myself to the Allfather’s axeman. If she will forgive my unkindness.”

Hel smiled. “There is much I can teach you about being a pariah.”

“Loki, please – think of what you’re doing. You will only make things worse.”

“From where I’m standing, Thor, there is no way to make them better. I could be as contrite as a pilgrim but my pleas would fall on deaf ears.”

He nodded to the sceptre.

“You may take that back to the Allfather for his collection of relics; I shall not need it where I’m going.”

“Loki, wait!”

Hel snapped her fingers and a door opened behind her, the familiar dank air of her world drifting through. Loki offered his hand and she held it tight.

“Just leave us be, Uncle Thor. Asgard will be happier without us, and we without them.”

She stepped backwards through the portal as the thunder god gave a last plaintive look, and then the rooftop was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued...


End file.
